Both the Iroquois people of North America and Kono people of Africa explain the creation of the Earth and life through their divine tales, “The World on the Turtle’s Back” and “Death and Life and Death” respectively. The tales’ methods of explaining the world’s creation also express much about the communities’ values. One such value is the important roles which life and death play in human existence. Both the Iroquois and Kono people value life; though while the Kono place less a value on life, viewing existence as infinite and life a precursor to the realm of death, the Iroquois place greater value on life, which they believe ends with death. While the Iroquois “Life on a Turtle’s Back” sees death as just the end to life, the Kono myth “Death, and Life and Death” classifies death as an omnipresent realm. From the start of their story, the Kono establish death as not just present, but the beginning of all existence. The tale states that in the world before matter, light, or life, “lived only Death, whose name is Sa.” Naming a god specifically for death, and the fact he came before all else, demonstrates their belief in death’s omnipresence. Death came first; he has loomed over the whole world since before its creation. Conversely, neither of the Iroquois' two Gods rule any realm of death. The god of left and right both preside over the living only. The right handed twin is known as “Master of Life,” and the left-handed twin “knows the world of men.” This lack of acknowledgement for a death god indicates the Iroquois place far greater value on balance in life itself, not between realms of life and death. Death is merely an end to them; life is much more precious. The Iroquois further strengthen their value placed upon life through their anger for those who end lives; conversely, the Kono see death as just part of the natural cycle of existence. In “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” when the left-handed twin kills his mother by exiting through her armpit during birth, the right-handed twin becomes furious with his brother’s “murder.” His anger sparks a very long conflict of duels over her death; they “contested in these duels, day after day.” Their mother’s murder was crime enough to fight over for a seemly endless period of time. The Iroquois’s view of murder as a hideous crime demonstrates they believe death to be the end of a valuable life. In contrast, the Kono’s tale explains death as a natural, inevitable meeting with the gods. As repayment for a debt, the god of life, Alatangana, agrees with the god of death, Sa, that he may “whenever he like[d], claim any of Alatangana’s offspring [humankind].” The Kono’s view of death as a mere unexpected meeting with the gods shows their acceptance of death’s inevitability and suggests they place less value on the world of the living than the Iroquois. To them, death is not the end; death is a portal to the gods. Due to their idea of death as a natural entrance to another realm, the Kono people place less importance on the short life of a human than the Iroquois people, who see death as the end of the road of existence. The Iroquois seem to look at one’s time pessimistically: limited to a short life. Though perhaps this outlook is positive; the idea likely leads to success in battle, technology, and morals, as individuals make the most out of what time they have. Conversely, the seemingly optimistic Kono view of infinite existence could create a problematic lack of self-preservation, the underlying principle which keeps humanity alive. Though in the case of either culture, these deep beliefs of existence travel through generations in the same manner: the telling of creation stories. Both the Kono and Iroquois preserve the future by the telling of the past.
While the Iroquois “Life on a Turtle’s Back” sees death as just the end to life, the Kono myth “Death, and Life and Death” classifies death as an omnipresent realm. From the start of their story, the Kono establish death as not just present, but the beginning of all existence. The tale states that in the world before matter, light, or life, “lived only Death, whose name is Sa.” Naming a god specifically for death, and the fact he came before all else, demonstrates their belief in death’s omnipresence. Death came first; he has loomed over the whole world since before its creation. Conversely, neither of the Iroquois' two Gods rule any realm of death. The god of left and right both preside over the living only. The right handed twin is known as “Master of Life,” and the left-handed twin “knows the world of men.” This lack of acknowledgement for a death god indicates the Iroquois place far greater value on balance in life itself, not between realms of life and death. Death is merely an end to them; life is much more precious.
The Iroquois further strengthen their value placed upon life through their anger for those who end lives; conversely, the Kono see death as just part of the natural cycle of existence. In “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” when the left-handed twin kills his mother by exiting through her armpit during birth, the right-handed twin becomes furious with his brother’s “murder.” His anger sparks a very long conflict of duels over her death; they “contested in these duels, day after day.” Their mother’s murder was crime enough to fight over for a seemly endless period of time. The Iroquois’s view of murder as a hideous crime demonstrates they believe death to be the end of a valuable life. In contrast, the Kono’s tale explains death as a natural, inevitable meeting with the gods. As repayment for a debt, the god of life, Alatangana, agrees with the god of death, Sa, that he may “whenever he like[d], claim any of Alatangana’s offspring [humankind].” The Kono’s view of death as a mere unexpected meeting with the gods shows their acceptance of death’s inevitability and suggests they place less value on the world of the living than the Iroquois. To them, death is not the end; death is a portal to the gods.
Due to their idea of death as a natural entrance to another realm, the Kono people place less importance on the short life of a human than the Iroquois people, who see death as the end of the road of existence. The Iroquois seem to look at one’s time pessimistically: limited to a short life. Though perhaps this outlook is positive; the idea likely leads to success in battle, technology, and morals, as individuals make the most out of what time they have. Conversely, the seemingly optimistic Kono view of infinite existence could create a problematic lack of self-preservation, the underlying principle which keeps humanity alive. Though in the case of either culture, these deep beliefs of existence travel through generations in the same manner: the telling of creation stories. Both the Kono and Iroquois preserve the future by the telling of the past.